This invention relates to a recording and/or reproduction apparatus and a recording and/or reproduction method for recording and/or reproducing at least image data.
In recent years, digital video cameras have been popularized widely.
One of known digital video cameras has a function of communicating with a personal computer apparatus through a data interface such as an IEEE 1394 interface.
In a system which includes a digital video camera and a personal computer apparatus connected to each other as described above, application software for a digital video camera is installed in the personal computer apparatus. The application software for a video camera allows the personal computer apparatus to fetch image data from the digital video camera side. The personal computer apparatus is further allowed to display and edit the fetched image. Also operation buttons and so forth for operating the video camera are displayed on a screen of the personal computer apparatus provided by the application software for a video camera. A user of the system can operate the displayed operation buttons and so forth to remotely control the digital video camera from the personal computer apparatus side.
In the environment of the system described above, an interface such as an IEEE 1394 interface is adopted. Therefore, a protocol for exclusive use must be used for data transfer in the system. Consequently, the user must prepare application software for exclusive use suitable for the video camera and install the application software into the personal computer apparatus. Further, where different personal computers employ different operating systems (OSs), different types of the application software for exclusive use described above must be prepared for the different operating systems.
Where a data interface such as an IEEE 1394 interface is adopted, the personal computer apparatus side must have a data interface function suitable for the IEEE 1394 as different from an alternative case wherein typically a public network is adopted.
At present, only limited personal computer apparatus have the IEEE 1394 interface function, and it is necessary to provide a personal computer apparatus which does not have the IEEE 1394 interface function typically with an interface board for the IEEE 1394 interface function.
In other words, if a system wherein a digital video camera and a personal computer can communicate with each other is implemented, then it allows more effective utilization of image data recorded by the digital video camera. At present, however, the system described has a problem in that it is poor in universal use from the reason described above and accordingly it is not easy to popularize.